Page 198 - japanese and korean art Utterberg Collection Christie's March 22 2022

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A LACQUER PLAQUE
TAISHO-SHOWA PERIOD (20TH CENTURY), SIGNED SHORYU
(SEGAWA SHORYU, ACT. 20TH CENTURY)
Elaborately decorated in polychome lacquer takamaki-e and nashiji
with running horses on rock against gold lacquer ground, translucent
lacquer eyes; frame in silver lacquer takamaki-e; reverse covered in
black lacquer
26æ x 37 in. (68 x 94 cm.)
$35,000-45,000

In the early 20th century, the Japanese artists started to integrate and
adapt the Western artistic influence into various fields. The purely
decorative and elegant style of characteristic had a great impact on
Japanese artists. It inspired them to pursue more creative designs
and to re-construct traditional Japanese design with a Westernized
decorative essence as shown on the present lot.

This lavish plaque is a special commission, although the
circumstances of its production are as yet unknown. Other plaques
by the same artist with a similar frame, formerly in the collection
of the Mitsui Family’s Western-style guest house (the Mitsui
Tsunamachi Villa), were exhibited at the Mitsui Memorial Museum
in 2011, Zohiko Urushi Art - from the Mitsui Memorial Museum
Collection, pp. 81-84. The artist of this work, Segawa Shoryu
(early 20th century) worked for Zohiko Company in Kyoto. The
Zohiko lineage dates from the time of the Kyoto lacquer craftsman
Nishimura Munetada (1720-1773), who acquired the nickname
"elephant boy" (Zohiko) for his lacquer image of the deity Fugen
(Samantabhadra) on an elephant mount.